Uudis Irish Independentilt:

Ryanair didn't tell pilots about vital runway changes

Budget carrier Ryanair was at the centre of a storm today after a hard-hitting report found one of its aircraft nearly crashed at an Irish airport.

The Boeing 737 from Gatwick to Knock in Co Mayo was carrying 144 passengers and crew last March when it marginally avoided crashing, according to a report by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU).

A TD today hit out at the carrier after investigators found pilots were not told by the airline about new changes to the runway at the rural airport.

The aircraft had to make a sudden emergency ascent because the pilot was unaware that several navigational aids were switched off while the airport was being upgraded.

Ryanair had been informed of the changes six weeks earlier, but did not pass on the information to its pilots working on the route, the report found.

The AAIU noted the captain and first officer were so engrossed in trying to reprogram the aircraft that they became distracted, before an alarm system warned they were approaching the ground, prompting an emergency ascent from the crew.

Both were experienced Ryanair pilots but uncertainty over changing weather conditions and the pilots' lack of familiarity with the particular approach to Knock impaired their decision-making process, the report found.